New Savannah Chamber initiative kicks off with appearance from top state official
A new Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce initiative got a big boost at its kickoff event. The Industry Council, a group of area manufacturers and logistics representatives that aims to meet quarterly, held its first meeting with Gov. Brian Kemp in attendance. Kemp addressed the room of 130 people for about 30 minutes, touting the boom of economic development in the Coastal Empire and noting Savannah's important role in it.
"Across the state we've had three record economic development years in a row coming out of the pandemic, and Savannah, in a lot of ways, led that effort," Kemp said.
The chamber's new Industry Council is a revamp of the previous manufacturers council, said Savannah Area Chamber and CEO Bert Brantley. Brantley said this new council has been expanded to include logistics companies.
The goal of the group is to provide access to high-level speakers such as Kemp, and also to provide members with information that helps them grow successfully in their businesses.
"We see there is a need to fill that information gap and make sure they hear directly from our policy makers and people who are working in the trenches on their behalf," Brantley said.
Gov. Kemp traveling to Savannah area more frequently
Kemp's appearance at Victory North for the event rounded out a recent trip to Savannah where he visited the Port of Savannah to support a study for deepening the Savannah River channel. During both stops on the trip, Kemp referenced the $1.5 billion in Georgia Department of Transportation funding in the amended 2024 state budget passed in February.
That appropriation included about $600 million for freight projects, which Savannah and the I-16 corridor will be a big part of, Kemp said. The state's largest economic development project in history is Bryan County's Hyundai Metaplant.
Kemp rounded out his remarks with a reference to the recent St. Patrick's Day Parade, which he attended, including the morning mass. The most recent visit was his second in just as many weeks.
"There's so much going on here," Kemp said. "We need to stay in touch with what the employers are dealing with, what issues the communities are dealing with, and we get that kind of feedback by doing events like this."
Evan Lasseter is the the city and county government reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at ELasseter@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: New Savannah Chamber initiative kicks off with appearance from Gov. Kemp
